Southwestern Roasted Vegetable Couscous

I literally made this out of items that I had on hand in the kitchen! Couscous is an easy to prepare pasta that literally absorbs the flavours of what you cook it with (similar to tofu!), so I decided to roast the couscous itself to add a nutty flavour to it. I think I would make it spicier next time, but overall it turned out well!

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole wheat couscous

2 1/4 cups of vegetable broth (you could also use a chicken broth)

1 cup diced red bell pepper (luckily I had some chopped and bagged in the freezer!)

1 cup sliced white button mushrooms

1/2 cup diced carrots (also chopped, bagged and frozen from my summer CSA!)

1 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

11 oz canned corn kernels

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 - 15oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

Fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Place the couscous on a cookie sheet with edges, and bake for approx. 5 mins. until golden brown (I shook the pan often to ensure even browning).

2. Boil broth in a saucepan and while stirring, add the couscous. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for approx. 5 mins. Fluff the couscous with a fork and set aside.

3. Combine bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, oil, chili powder, salt & pepper, cumin, corn and garlic together in a bowl. Turn out onto the cookie sheet and place in oven for approx. 12 to 15 mins, stirring often. Once vegetables are roasted, combine couscous, green onions, black beans and roasted vegetables in a bowl, and stir well.

4. Garnish with either whole cilantro or parlsey leaves!

**What made this recipe so easy to prepare was the fact that I took advantage of the bountiful harvest from the summer CSA and spent a day chopping and preparing vegetables to bag and freeze. Then when I need them they are on hand! BTW, the carrots look dark because they are the purple heritage ones from Cooper's!**